Commentaire 132 – commentaires et rétroaction

Rob Burton, Mayor, Town of Oakville, Head of Council and CEO

Dear Commissioners:

I am writing to you on behalf of Oakville Town Council to express our concerns regarding the recommendations for the redistribution of federal electoral districts, especially the proposed electoral district titled "Georgetown-Milton East."

Oakville Town Council opposes the proposed electoral district boundary changes as they do not reflect Oakville's communities of identity or interest.

1. The proposed boundaries do not reflect North Oakville's legislated, steady and fast population growth over the span of this redistribution.
2. The proposed changes would put Oakville's newest area at a disadvantage for funding and support by being separated politically for representation from the rest of Oakville.
3. The proposed changes would result in residents of Oakville's Ward 7 and Ward 6 being placed in a federal riding with residents of Georgetown and Milton East, making it difficult for the Oakville residents to voice their needs to federal and provincial elected officials.

Oakville Town Council instead suggests that the boundaries be adjusted to better reflect the primary population of the electoral district. Oakville is experiencing rapid, legislated growth that requires adequate representation under The Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act.

The act permits departures from the electoral quota of up to 25%. Our 2021 population already equals enough residents to justify two ridings, by your own rules.

An east-west pair of ridings would be a more efficient and equitable electoral grouping of Oakville's population.

The proposed changes would not only undermine Oakville's communities of interest, but Halton Region as a whole. The changes would result in joining parts of Oakville with other Halton municipalities:

1. Oakville-Lakeshore would include a part of eastern Burlington
2. Oakville North would include a part of eastern Burlington
3. Georgetown-Milton East would join the most rapidly growing part of Oakville with slower-growing and more established areas of Halton Region.

All three Commission-proposed ridings would include minority populations from Burlington or Oakville. The provincial and federal elected officials of these proposed districts would be left to liaise among a multitude of municipal councils. Inevitably, any given group would have its voice reduced.

Each of the four Halton Region municipalities involved in the proposed electoral districts has its own individual and unique identity. Consequently, Halton mayors and residents celebrated the end of the amalgamation threat in 2019.

The objective of the redistribution of electoral boundaries is to provide up-to-date representation for residents in the relevant districts. The proposed changes provide none of the above and instead undermine the unique identities and interests of the Halton Region municipalities.

Oakville Town Council urges the Commission to consider the recommendations above and propose electoral boundaries that better reflect the interests of the people of Oakville and Halton Region.

Sincerely,

Mayor Rob Burton, Town of Oakville
Head of Council & CEO

cc. Halton Heads of Council, Oakville Town Council, Halton Members of Parliament and Members of Provincial Parliament

Town of Oakville Council

Notice of Motion

Subject: Redistribution of Federal Electoral Districts

To be considered: September 20, 2022

Moved by: Councillor Pavan Parmar

Seconded by: Councillor Sandhu

Whereas The Canadian Constitution requires that federal districts be reviewed every ten years to accommodate changes in population;

Whereas The Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario has put forward a new electoral map proposing redistribution of electoral boundaries;

Whereas the Electoral Boundaries Act provides that the Commission shall be governed by certain rules including average population numbers, communities of identity and interest, historical patterns of an electoral district, and geographic size of electoral districts;

Whereas the population quota for electoral districts is based on 116,500 people;

Whereas the proposed redistribution recommends three electoral districts to include Oakville residents;

Whereas the proposed electoral district named Georgetown—Milton East will consist of the part of the Town of Oakville lying northwesterly of Dundas Street West, Dundas Street East and northeasterly of Regional Road 25.

Whereas Oakville's current population within its municipal boundaries is approximately 225,000 and growing;

Whereas a more efficient electoral grouping of Oakville's population might reflect an Oakville East and Oakville West, which would allow for a blending of population growth rates in a north/south manner;

And whereas the public consultation began August 19, 2022 and ends on October 29, 2022;

Now therefore it be resolved that the Commission be made aware that Oakville Town Council opposes the proposed electoral district boundary changes as they do not reflect Oakville's communities of identity or interest;

That the proposed changes do not reflect North Oakville's estimated population growth until 2031;

That the proposed changes would put Oakville's newest area at a disadvantage for funding and support by being separated from the rest of Oakville;

That the proposed changes would separate the population in North Oakville from the rest of the Town, causing an unnecessary divide and inhibiting Oakville's livability;

That the proposed changes would result in Oakville's Ward 7 and Ward 6 residents being placed in a Federal Riding called "Georgetown—Milton East", making it increasingly difficult to meet with their MP and to have community concerns addressed;

That the proposed allocation and naming of any new electoral districts be re-evaluated to better reflect the primary population of the electoral district;

That Oakville residents are encouraged to make their voices heard and take part in the public hear or write a submission to the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario;

And that Mayor Burton write to the commission and request that they re-evaluate the proposed electoral boundary changes to better reflect Oakville's community of interest.